Hi all. I'll try to be brief. Husband (48) extremely physically fit, diagnosed with severe leaking aortic valve...will need open heart eventually to replace vavle but can wait...according to Mayo visit in February (We live in Chicago).

He has symptoms daily....almost all of the ones on the list but his pulse is quite low. Here are a list of symptoms that are common:

Some of the most common symptoms of leaky heart valves are:

Shortness of breath, especially with exertion or when you lie down

Fatigue, especially during times of increased activity

Cough, especially at night or when lying down

Heart palpitations — sensations of a rapid, fluttering heartbeat

Swollen feet or ankles

Heart murmur

Excessive urination

Chest pain (angina) or tightness

Feeling faint or fainting with exertion

Dizziness

He hasn't fainted, but has been light headed...does not have swollen feet (He is very thin) and as I mentioned, his pulse rate is low, not high.

Mayo said to come back once a year to check everything. His leak is quite severe, but some of the other chamber measurements aren't severe yet....when the chambers start measuring severe....they will do the surgery.

I guess my questions are: Why is his pulse rate low? and also, should we touch base with the doctor? I fell like if we wait until the year is up, he may die. I wonder if these symptoms can kill him. I am just worried...it is a bit scary. Any words of wisdom and comfort always seem to help me. Thanks.

Thank you. He is not on any meds. I appreciate the advice, and will keep trying to get him to contact his doctor at Mayo. He is one of those who is not a doctor person. If it were up to me, I would have called already. It took a year of chest pain before he even went in and he is not one for taking medicine, even advil. The doc at Mayo doesn't think he needs medication right now. Thanks again.

define low, what is his resting pulse rate? being physically fit can and should lower your resting rate.

Fitness

Besides body position and level of activity, fitness level can also play a role in a person's pulse rate, advises the Mayo Clinic. As a man becomes more physically fit, his resting heart rate tends to slow down. The National Institutes of Health is of the same mind as the Mayo Clinic, stating that athletes frequently have a lower resting heart rate than the average man, coming in at 40 to 60 beats per minute.